Women of Hope program to feature resources for women battling cancer

Experts will prepare patients for the trials that await them and the opportunities that are available to them as they battle cancer.

By Mike VoorheisMike.Voorheis@StarNewsOnline.com

Amy Collins once had straight, shoulder-length hair. Meeting her today, it's hard to imagine her with anything but her short, spiky hair.Her haircut exudes spunk. Given her recent history, nothing would be more fitting.Collins is a mother of twins, works at an insurance agency and has battled breast cancer for the past two years.Beneath the snips of Sandy Powell's scissors at Sir Charles Hairstyles, Collins told her story of battling cancer and the unavoidable emotional ups and downs that are punctuated by the disease.In between sobs and smiles, they told their story of friendship and sisterhood, a bond that began when Collins' mother won a raffle for a gift certificate that Powell had donated for a fundraiser.At the time, Collins was undergoing treatment for cancer, so a hair appointment wasn't at the top of her list.In fact, when Collins' hair started falling out, she handed the clippers to her twins, then 6 years old, and let them shave her head. It was a bold decision, one that cancer patients are forced to make: Do I disguise the hair loss as long as possible or do I bare my soul to the world?It's a topic that could be discussed Tuesday at The Women of Hope View on Healthy Living at the Northeast Regional Library on Military Cutoff Road. Powell is the cosmetologist on the panel. She'll be surrounded by other experts who prepare patients for the trials that await them and the opportunities that are available to them as they battle cancer. The panel includes Catherine Butler, counselor of The Healing Partnership; Birgit Arb, Cape Fear Cancer Specialists Internal Medicine, oncology; Susan Jackson, health and wellness coach; Lori Campbell, YMCA personal trainer and founder of Fit Beyond Cancer; Powell, cosmetologist; and Karen Ruefle, clinical dietitian, New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Rhonda Bellamy will be the moderator.Collins turned what could have been a daunting experience into a moment to bond with her children, and she gave them an example of courage in the toughest of times.Stories like those – and people like Collins – motivate Powell to do what she does. She works with some cancer patients on their hair and makeup, and she also donates her time to Pink Fire Truck visits and various other fundraisers and events.She helps cancer patients address the changes in hair texture and color as they adapt to life after chemotherapy. She also explained that patients' skin and nails might not be the same after treatment."They might have to change makeup or colors," Powell said. Some "girlie" girls have a hard time losing their hair or dealing with changes to their skin and nails.Collins isn't one of those, but that doesn't mean that she's invulnerable to the ups and downs that come from dealing with cancer.Collins has found a support group in Wilmington. She was the first recipient of a visit from the Pink Fire Truck, she said. "I was having a rough day," she said. "I think I looked at myself a little too long in the mirror and realized what I had gone through."As the fire trucks screamed down her street. Collins' husband, Richard, sent her outside to see what the commotion was all about.With sirens blaring, volunteers delivered flowers, Rack Pack T-shirts and other goodies that brought tears to Collins' eyes. Now, she's part of the entourage. "After that first home visit, I was hooked," she said, her voice cracking and her eyes moistening."I wanted other people to feel what I felt."One chance meeting at her insurance office brought another friend into the fold. Collins had four little sprigs of hair on her shaved head when a client wearing a cap approached her."Are you a sister with a struggle?" the client asked.Collins confirmed that she had breast cancer, and the customer removed her hat to reveal her own bald head."We became instant friends," Collins said, calling the friend, Angela Smock, her Boobie Buddy.As they dealt with cancer, they compared notes and attended events together.Perhaps Tuesday night, one cancer patient will get an answer to a question she was afraid to ask. And perhaps another will look around the audience and find a Boobie Buddy of her own.